There is a story behind every office removal van booking. Some of these are triumphant, others tragic, but a surprising number of these stories involve tensions boiling over and irritations becoming too much to bear.
Because there are as many different ways to design an office as there are ways to do an office job, choosing the right office is not just a matter of location, space and provision, although all three of these are important.
It is about having the right type of layout and design to create the type of working environment that gets the best of your employees. Despite attempts such as the “office landscape” there is no universal office environment; the best layout is the one your employees are most productive in.
With that said, however, some office design features can be so contentious that they force major changes and even relocation if nothing can be done to fix them. Here are some of the most debated.
True Open Plan
There is perhaps no office concept more hotly contested than open-plan offices, probably because their biggest trait will cause some workers to thrive and others to be almost completely unable to work.
Open-plan offices are loud in a way that people do not always appreciate, and for people who require a quiet space to do their work or to focus properly, a true open-plan office is truly unbearable.
Generally, having a range of working spaces that fit the styles and requirements of your employees is the best way to design an office, but whilst a blank sheet of paper is the best place to start any project, an open-plan office space can sometimes be beyond salvaging.
Themed Meeting Rooms
Having an office that follows a theme is not necessarily a bad idea by any stretch of the idea, particularly if the aim is to inspire creativity, free thinking and new ideas in an architectural version of Marshall McLuhan’s idea of the medium being the message.
Whilst that certainly can be the case, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with a design that is not really seen anywhere else, it can be very easy to go too far, and it is important to ensure that a unique, unusual room is also suitable and appropriate for meeting clients and having serious discussions.
Limited Natural Light
There is a stereotypical modern office made of gleaming metal, white walls and huge windows, but all of these aspects are implemented with the express intent of maximising the amount of natural light that enters the space.
Avoiding an overuse of artificial light sources is important, as harsh lighting can cause headaches, eye strain and contribute to sick building syndrome.
However, it is important to plan your light sources carefully and design your office layout to maximise its benefits whilst reducing the possibility of the glare of the sun getting into people’s eyes during the day and affecting work.
Ultimately, an office design should allow for as much control of the space as possible, and that includes lighting, otherwise people will start to go elsewhere.
